Poinsettia plant named ‘PER6602’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘PER6602’, characterized by its uniform, upright and mounded plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; inflorescences with “textured” bright red-colored flower bracts; early season flowering; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PER6602’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘PER6602’.

The new Poinsettia is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar 490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825. The cultivar PER6602 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within a population of plants of the parent cultivar in a controlled environment in Encinitas, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2002. The new Poinsettia was selected on the basis of its “textured” flower bracts.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings propagated in a controlled environment in Encinitas, Calif., since March, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘PER6602’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘PER6602’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Uniform, upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   3. Inflorescences with “textured” bright red-colored flower         bracts.     -   4. Early season flowering; natural season flower maturity date         is mid-November for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.     -   5. Excellent post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ from plants of the parent, the cultivar 490, primarily in flower bract surface as plants of the cultivar 490 have smooth flower bracts.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivar 559, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,773. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of the cultivar 559 in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia had darker green-colored leaves         than plants of the cultivar 559.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered about two weeks earlier         than plants of the cultivar 559.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia had darker-red-colored flower         bracts than plants of the cultivar 559.     -   4. Plants of the new Poinsettia had “textured” flower bracts         whereas plants of the cultivar 559 had smooth flower bracts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accomanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘PER6602’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inforescences of ‘PER6602’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and averaged measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif. during the winter under commercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse with day temperatures averaging about 24° C., night temperatures averaging about 19° C. and light levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Single plants were grown in 16.5-cm pots and pinched once. Plants were flowered under natural season short day/long night conditions. Plants were about 21 weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photographs and the detailed botanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar     PER6602. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Euphorbia     pulcherrima Willd. cultivar 490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.     7,825. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10 days at 20 to 22° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—About four weeks at 20 to 22° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Growth habit.—Upright, uniform and mounded plant habit;             inverted triangle. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 30 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 51 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: About seven lateral             branches develop after pinching. Length: About 29 cm.             Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode length: About 2.7 cm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth; glabrous. Color: 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length:             About 11.5 cm. Width: About 9 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex:             Acuminate. Base: Obtuse with attenuate tendencies. Margin:             Entire with irregular lobing. Venation pattern: Pinnate.             Texture, upper surface: Glabrous, smooth. Texture, lower             surface: Slightly pubescent. Color: Developing foliage,             upper surface: 146A. Developing foliage, lower surface:             146B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Darker than             147A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Darker than             147B. Venation, upper surface: 147B. Venation, lower             surface: 147C. Petiole: Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About             3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; glabrous.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: 185A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Infloresence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the             cyathia. One inflorescence per lateral branch. Flowers are             not fragant. Flowers persistent.         -   Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern             Hemisphere. Flower initiation and development is induced             under long nyctoperiod conditions. Early season flowering,             response time, about 7.5 weeks; natural season flower             maturity date is mid-November for plants grown in Encinitas,             Calif.         -   Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia             maintain good substance and bract color for about four weeks             under interior conditions.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 33 cm. Height (depth):             About 8.5 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 24. Length,             largest bracts: About 15.3 cm. Width, largest bracts: About             11 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute to             attenuate. Margin: Mostly entire with occasional irregular             lobing. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous;             velvety. Surface, upper and lower surfaces: “Textured”, that             is, rugose. Aspect: Mostly flat with slightly recurved apex.             Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing, transitional             and fully expanded bracts, upper surface: 45A; color does             not fade with development. Developing, transitional and             fully expanded bracts, lower surface: 45C. Venation, upper             and lower surfaces: Similar to flower bract color. Bract             petiole: Length: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 53A.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About twelve. Diameter of             cyathia cluster: About 2.5 cm by 3.5 cm. Length: About 1 cm.             Width: About 7 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color, immature: 145A.             Color, mature: 145B. Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium: About             one or two. Size: About 2 mm by 4 mm. Color: 15A. Peduncle:             Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong.             Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth; glabrous. Color:             145A. Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About 15. Anther             shape: Bi-lobed. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color:             59A. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: 12B. Pistils:             None observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Poinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercial     conditions. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘PER6602’, as illustrated and described. 